Six potential replacements for Alex Ovechkin at the All-Star Game

Barry Trotz talks about why Alex Ovechkin will not be heading to Nashville for the 2016 All-Star Game.

With Alex Ovechkin sitting out the 2016 NHL All-Star Game with a lower-body injury, there is an open spot on Team Metropolitan waiting to be filled.

Here are six possible candidates:

Sidney Crosby
It was kind of a surprise when the face of the NHL was left off the original roster to begin with, so this would be a good opportunity to bring him back into the all-star fold. The Penguins captain has picked it up of late as well with 10 points in his last seven games.

Evgeny Kuznetsov
The Washington Capitals‘ other star Russian actually leads the Metropolitan Division in points with 48. A pretty seamless substitution.

Michael Cammalleri
He’s cooled off from a surprisingly hot start, but the Devils’ leading scorer would be a suitable replacement sniper. His 38 points in 42 games has him seventh in the Metro.

Jakub Voracek
Having a solid season (eight goals, 28 assists for 36 points), and would compliment Claude Giroux nicely in the 3-on-3 tournament. His overtime winner against the Capitals was a nice snapshot of the damage he could do in Nashville.

Derick Brassard/Mats Zuccarello
These two are both having similarly strong years (17 goals and 19 assists for Brassard, 18 goals and 17 assists for Zuccarello), and this would allow the NHL to send more than just Ryan McDonagh from their largest American market. Either choice would work fine.

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